 Filthy inherited pond, with newts and froglets
Hello,
I am really hoping some of you experienced guys can help me. I have inherited a pond in the garden of the new house I have moved into. However, the garden has been very neglected, and there is a lot of rubbish in my pond (including what looks like an old radiator, polystyrene box and a lot of glass from what looks like a fish tank).
I also have a lot of froglets, and I think I may have newts, although I am less certain about this, but the tadpoles are still around and look more 'newty'. I really want to keep them, as I intend to use the garden to grow some vegetables organically, and they will be great pest control. I also don't intend to keep fish, due to the vast numbers of very unafraid herons there are here.
As you can tell, the pond really needs a good clean, but I am worried that if I do this I will disturb the newts and other wildlife. It is also in desperate need of some oxygenating plants, but I think that I have also missed the boat on getting these in the pond as well, due to the season. I guess the wildlife cannot mind the filth too much, or they wouldn't be there, but I want to know that I am doing my absolute best for them.
I have also kept much of the vegetation in the garden, so that the frogs have something to hide and hunt in, and intend to dig up the land once they are bigger and much less vulnerable. As I intend to grow organically, this will not be a problem for the future, and I intend to keep the area around the pond for ornamental plants. If there is any advice on good wildlife planting available, then that would also be great. At the moment, it is a lot of bindweed and ground elder, so anything else would be preferable!
I am a bit of a pond newbie, as I grew up in a house where my mother was a childminder, so we were never allowed water outside. Therefore any help and advice, as well as tips and information on what I can provide to give them the best overwintering chances that I can would be really gratefully received. I am delighted that I have this fantastic resource, and wealth of wildlife, so I really do want to ensure that they are here for generations to come.
Many thanks
Greengardener?  |